Conventional isogrid structures can be efficient structures, and a thin-walled isogrid column can be considered a mass-efficient column design for space structures. However, attempts at developing a feasible deployable isogrid boom have not overcome issues such as local wall buckling due to sensitivity to fabrication error or robust deployment schemes.
The isogrid has been found to be a structurally efficient structure, mathematically. Small members arranged in a triangular grid provide the structural efficiency. The grid provides strength, but allows small rods to be used in the triangles. Small rods can be used because the isogrid mainly applies axial force along each member, allowing for use of small and low mass rods in the structure. Each rod merely needs to be strong enough to not buckle. While isogrids have been used in aerospace applicable structures, isogrids have been limited to monolithic panels or tubes that do not deploy. Deployable versions of isogrid structures have been researched, but have met with moderate success. Isogrid structures can be difficult to construct in a way that they are not structurally compromised or economically infeasible for some reason. In other words, isogrid structures have been viewed in the past as difficult to construct to be competitive with other deployable designs. Some problems to overcome were manufacturing inefficiencies, cost to build due to complexities, the compaction for stowage can be not very good, or isogrid structures may have to add mass to components to keep the isogrid structures from breaking.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art nor what the prior art may suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art.